Help with Sugar Withdrawals
sclevenger1
Posts: 12 Member
I have been having severe headaches & nausea since I completely cut sugar from my diet. Has anyone else experienced these and if so...do you have any advice? I was a major Sugar Addict before. Thanks
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I hear ya. I was in a lecture about sugar addiction funny enough! A woman is suppose to take in an average of 7 tsp of sugar per week… 1 glass of Orange juice has an average of 9 tsp of sugar… yikes.
The dietitians advice was to NOT quit cold turkey, because withdrawals happen. Instead, go slow. If you have 10 sodas a day, cut down 2 per week. If you like 2 sugars in your coffee, cut down to 1. Refined sugar and other sugars are kind of like drugs. Your brain gets really excited just to see things with sugar because it makes your brain happy! So, go slow. Reward yourself with things like raspberries or blueberries instead of chocolate chips. (that's what I'm doing right now and it's a start).
So, go have yourself a little juice or a cookie. It's not okay to quit sugar cold turkey or you're going to feel like death and fall right back into that nasty old trap.0 -
I don't completely cut out sugar (or anything else) for weight loss. Lifestyle changes for me (this time). I don't plan on being sugar free (no medical issues) after the weight is gone so I need to deal with it now. "Managing" sugar is the lifestyle change....not getting rid of it.0
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Your body makes the sugar it needs from complex carbs0
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If cutting back on the sugar lowered your carbs enough you may need more salt. Or if you were drinking sugary/caffeine drinks it's likely to be the caffeine. Taking a caffeine pill or a pain killer with caffeine in it for a few days will help.
And if nothing else works just know it'll pass soon -- 3 or 4 days tops. Best wishes.0 -
Thanks for the great advice!0
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Chief_Rocka wrote: »Your body makes the sugar it needs from complex carbs
Or protein if you are eating low carb. Carbs are not required by the human body and without carbs or <100 grams daily you will go into nutritional ketosis. Cutting out all forms of sugar may mean you are in a state of ketosis now.
That can make you feel like you have the flu for a few days or longer but then you become keto adapted and are off sugar but with more energy typically.
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I'm a diabetic so I had to cut out sugar, as my insulin resistance is extremely bad.
I went from drinking tons of sugared pop and juices daily to absolutely nothing, and yes, the withdrawal was super bad.
Took me 2 months to finally get off all forms of sugar, both natural and refined, but it was best thing I ever did.
Nothing wrong with net carbs, I love my rice, potatoes, pita's, etc etc, but I limit them to between 100 to 150 net carbs per meal, and then don't eat nothing else for minimum 6 hours.
All forms of sugar I limit to between 7 and 10 per meal.
Proteins and fats I don't worry about.
Saturated fat I keep a general eye on, but I never worry if I go a bit over.
Sodium I try to keep under daily amount
And calories I keep a general eye on, so I stick to around 1000 to 1200 per day, not because I counting them, but my mobility is poor so I not getting any extra to fall back on, and i'm trying to keep a happy balance and loose consistently.
But if a meal goes over I not worry about it.
Just plod along with the no sugar and all of a sudden you'll start to pick up and be fine.0 -
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LiveLaughLoveEat1 wrote: »GaleHawkins wrote: »Chief_Rocka wrote: »Your body makes the sugar it needs from complex carbs
Or protein if you are eating low carb. Carbs are not required by the human body and without carbs or <100 grams daily you will go into nutritional ketosis. Cutting out all forms of sugar may mean you are in a state of ketosis now.
That can make you feel like you have the flu for a few days or longer but then you become keto adapted and are off sugar but with more energy typically.
um, yes it does...lol...
LiveLaughLoveEat1 if my statement was not true I would not have made the statement initially. I post with my real name to encourage myself to be helpful when on the web. I will not with intent post false information.
Carbs are optionally as in "Not Essentially Required" for human life.
Please stop posting otherwise.
http://ajcn.nutrition.org/content/75/5/951.2.full
http://www.carbohydratescankill.com/2717/there-essential-carbohydrates
http://graemethomasonline.com/carbohydrate-daily-requirements/ This link is a good read about carbs. Carbs can be nice but they are not required and in excess they can be harmful to live.
Folks we need to understand diet requirements and how food works inside our bodies if we are going to increase the success of Americans dieting to greater than the current 10% success rate of losing and keep the weight off for the rest of one's life.
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Sugar withdrawal is painful. I am a Pepsi addict and quit again as of July 20th, the first week was horrible, terrible headaches, extreme cravings, cranky had to take a lot of Advil to help manage the headaches but it does pass. The first week is the worst and then it gets better, hang in there!0
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GaleHawkins wrote: »
Carbs are optionally as in "Not Essentially Required" for human life.
Nor are saturated or monounsaturated fats.
Nor are the majority of amino acids (protein is made up of 21 amino acids, only 8 of which are essential).
Why don't you avoid these as well?
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Sugar withdrawal is painful. I am a Pepsi addict and quit again as of July 20th, the first week was horrible, terrible headaches, extreme cravings, cranky had to take a lot of Advil to help manage the headaches but it does pass. The first week is the worst and then it gets better, hang in there!
Sugar is not physically addictive. Your symptoms sound like caffeine withdrawal, not sugar.
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If you stay true - I assure this time next week you will feel great. Be careful posting about this topic, the sugar shills will target you and demand "carb is a carb" compliance. Good Luck in all your struggles.-1
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FunkyTobias wrote: »GaleHawkins wrote: »
Carbs are optionally as in "Not Essentially Required" for human life.
Nor are saturated or monounsaturated fats.
Nor are the majority of amino acids (protein is made up of 21 amino acids, only 8 of which are essential).
Why don't you avoid these as well?
Funky one can not avoid eating carbs and eat from the food sources nature provides. Even grass feed beef which is a great source of fat and protein is going to drag along a Carb with the good fat and protein.
It is the false statements some are making here that are harming people by trying to make them think the human body is dumb and stupid which it is not that I think needs to be cut out.
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herrspoons wrote: »GaleHawkins wrote: »[Carbs can be nice but they are not required and in excess they can be harmful to live.
Anything can be harmful in excess. For example, if you try to live on lean meat alone, then you stand a good chance of getting Rabbit Starvation - the symptom caused by lack of fat and/or carbohydrate in a diet.
Whilst it's strictly true that carbohydrates are not necessary, cutting them out entirely is as dumb as a sack of rocks, because they are by far the best nutrient for quick release energy. In addition, they have other benefits, because carbs sources like grains include fibre, which you'll need to find from other sources unless you like trying to pass the Titanic when you're on the loo.
http://www.nhs.uk/livewell/loseweight/pages/the-truth-about-carbs.aspx
In addition, cutting out carbs does not mean you will lose fat - your calorie limit remains the same, although it may be slightly harder to consume those calories, due to bulk. Then again, eating a lot of cheese will pile on the calories nearly as much as eating a load of cake.
Like all fad diets, which promote exclusion rather than moderation, low or non carb diets will ultimately have a low sustainability rate over five years or more, because they simply do not teach the basic premise of sensible dietary control. They are merely cash generating machines for diet book writers and DVD producers.
Also there is no such thing as sugar addiction. Really, there isn't.
There may be no Gambling Addiction either. We do not know where there is a physical addiction to sugar possibility yet because that research is still in progress and will need peer review. The emotional addiction to gambling, sugar, etc is not really in question any longer. How addictions work at a chemical level still is being researched.
Since it is carbs that makes most people fat and not the Fat or Proteins yes cutting all carbs will lead to weight loss in most all humans based on today's research. Below is some lab results relating to physical sugar addiction.
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2235907/
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I cut out most junk carbs from processed foods and went through a season of cravings and such.sclevenger1 wrote: »I have been having severe headaches & nausea since I completely cut sugar from my diet. Has anyone else experienced these and if so...do you have any advice? I was a major Sugar Addict before. Thanks
It passes.
I obtain my sugars from a much healthier source: fruits and veggies. It's made a world of difference in my progress and results.
Consider making fruit your staple when it comes to simple carbs.
Good Luck!
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Oh yeah. The internet is the definitive source for correct information. You can find anything to support any argument by spending a few minutes with a search engine.
When in doubt, moderation of whatever fuel mix you choose is a good place to start. Keep track of what you eat, make changes slowly, and create a calorie deficit. Unless your Doctor says otherwise.-1 -
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I was about to tear you apart for this, but then I looked up some things, and apparently this is true. (source available on request) However the information said that the effects of long term extreme carbohydrate restriction have not been studied. It would be close to impossible to live on zero carbohydrate, I personally don't believe in sugar "addiction" or withdrawal. No science to back that up. All in the sufferer's head.GaleHawkins wrote: »Carbs are not required by the human body
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Some can't live without creating drama...lol
bwahahahaha...they flagged this one, too...keep it up...I don't mind.
The poor moderators must cringe with how some act with their flag finger.
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I was about to tear you apart for this, but then I looked up some things, and apparently this is true. (source available on request) However the information said that the effects of long term extreme carbohydrate restriction have not been studied. It would be close to impossible to live on zero carbohydrate, I personally don't believe in sugar "addiction" or withdrawal. No science to back that up. All in the sufferer's head.GaleHawkins wrote: »Carbs are not required by the human body
Actually, they are not dietary essential but they are physiologically essential, which is why we have gluconeogenesis. Aside from the requirement for glucose to power sustain intensive aerobic activity, such as running long distances, our brains require glucose because there are neurons in the brain that are too small for mitochondria and thus they can only get their ATP supplied from glycolysis. Ketones can be used as an alternate source in most brain cells but can never be used where there are no mitochondria.
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We also need to understand that the 'carbs aren't required advice' has the potential to be very dangerous. Maybe you should have a read about some of the animal studies they're doing on pregnant rodents. For obvious reasons, they can't do similar human studies.GaleHawkins wrote: »LiveLaughLoveEat1 wrote: »GaleHawkins wrote: »Chief_Rocka wrote: »Your body makes the sugar it needs from complex carbs
Or protein if you are eating low carb. Carbs are not required by the human body and without carbs or <100 grams daily you will go into nutritional ketosis. Cutting out all forms of sugar may mean you are in a state of ketosis now.
That can make you feel like you have the flu for a few days or longer but then you become keto adapted and are off sugar but with more energy typically.
um, yes it does...lol...
LiveLaughLoveEat1 if my statement was not true I would not have made the statement initially. I post with my real name to encourage myself to be helpful when on the web. I will not with intent post false information.
Carbs are optionally as in "Not Essentially Required" for human life.
Please stop posting otherwise.
http://ajcn.nutrition.org/content/75/5/951.2.full
http://www.carbohydratescankill.com/2717/there-essential-carbohydrates
http://graemethomasonline.com/carbohydrate-daily-requirements/ This link is a good read about carbs. Carbs can be nice but they are not required and in excess they can be harmful to live.
Folks we need to understand diet requirements and how food works inside our bodies if we are going to increase the success of Americans dieting to greater than the current 10% success rate of losing and keep the weight off for the rest of one's life.
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23656724
"The increasing use of the ketogenic diet (KD), particularly by women of child-bearing age, raises a question about its suitability during gestation. To date, no studies have thoroughly investigated the direct implications of a gestational ketogenic diet on embryonic development.
A ketogenic diet during gestation results in alterations in embryonic organ growth. Such alterations may be associated with organ dysfunction and potentially behavioral changes in postnatal life."
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/24168053
"A gestational ketogenic diet deleteriously affects maternal fertility and increases susceptibility to fatal ketoacidosis during lactation. Prenatal and early postnatal exposure to a ketogenic diet also results in significant alterations to neonatal brain structure, and results in retarded physiological growth. These alterations could be accompanied by functional and behavioural changes in later postnatal life."
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/3772523
"All pups born to zero-glucose dams died by d 4. Pup survival to d 7 was 48% at 4% glucose and 84% at 12% glucose. The data demonstrate that maternal dietary carbohydrate is required for fetal growth, normal parturition and postnatal survival of rat pups. The results indicate that late gestation, parturition and the neonatal period may be especially vulnerable to maternal carbohydrate deprivation"
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/2398413
"Evidence for a critical period during late gestation when maternal dietary carbohydrate is essential for survival of newborn rats"
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I was told that if you take an Aleve and drink a few ounces of Gatorade your symptoms will improve. Within a week or two you will be feeling fine.0
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LiveLaughLoveEat1 wrote: »Charlottesometimes23 wrote: »
We also need to understand that the 'carbs aren't required advice' has the potential to be very dangerous. Maybe you should have a read about some of the animal studies they're doing on pregnant rodents. For obvious reasons, they can't do similar human studies.GaleHawkins wrote: »LiveLaughLoveEat1 wrote: »GaleHawkins wrote: »Chief_Rocka wrote: »Your body makes the sugar it needs from complex carbs
Or protein if you are eating low carb. Carbs are not required by the human body and without carbs or <100 grams daily you will go into nutritional ketosis. Cutting out all forms of sugar may mean you are in a state of ketosis now.
That can make you feel like you have the flu for a few days or longer but then you become keto adapted and are off sugar but with more energy typically.
um, yes it does...lol...
LiveLaughLoveEat1 if my statement was not true I would not have made the statement initially. I post with my real name to encourage myself to be helpful when on the web. I will not with intent post false information.
Carbs are optionally as in "Not Essentially Required" for human life.
Please stop posting otherwise.
http://ajcn.nutrition.org/content/75/5/951.2.full
http://www.carbohydratescankill.com/2717/there-essential-carbohydrates
http://graemethomasonline.com/carbohydrate-daily-requirements/ This link is a good read about carbs. Carbs can be nice but they are not required and in excess they can be harmful to live.
Folks we need to understand diet requirements and how food works inside our bodies if we are going to increase the success of Americans dieting to greater than the current 10% success rate of losing and keep the weight off for the rest of one's life.
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23656724
"The increasing use of the ketogenic diet (KD), particularly by women of child-bearing age, raises a question about its suitability during gestation. To date, no studies have thoroughly investigated the direct implications of a gestational ketogenic diet on embryonic development.
A ketogenic diet during gestation results in alterations in embryonic organ growth. Such alterations may be associated with organ dysfunction and potentially behavioral changes in postnatal life."
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/24168053
"A gestational ketogenic diet deleteriously affects maternal fertility and increases susceptibility to fatal ketoacidosis during lactation. Prenatal and early postnatal exposure to a ketogenic diet also results in significant alterations to neonatal brain structure, and results in retarded physiological growth. These alterations could be accompanied by functional and behavioural changes in later postnatal life."
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/3772523
"All pups born to zero-glucose dams died by d 4. Pup survival to d 7 was 48% at 4% glucose and 84% at 12% glucose. The data demonstrate that maternal dietary carbohydrate is required for fetal growth, normal parturition and postnatal survival of rat pups. The results indicate that late gestation, parturition and the neonatal period may be especially vulnerable to maternal carbohydrate deprivation"
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/2398413
"Evidence for a critical period during late gestation when maternal dietary carbohydrate is essential for survival of newborn rats"
Why did this post get flagged as spam? She cited her references. GaleHawkins...did you do this because you were upset that she basically "called you out"...how sad for you.
Yes, it was an excellent post. Scientific evidence is disparaged by zealots as a last resort.0
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